LETTER: District-run virtual schooling unfairly benefits from state aid

To Ozaukee Press:
    As school districts finalize their plans for this fall, they will take three approaches: in-person, virtual or a combination of the two. In-person education is the preferred option for most parents, according to school surveys, and I applaud the districts offering in-person, five-day instruction. 
    The preference of families for in-person instruction at our schools is unsurprising. Wisconsin has offered a range of educational options for years and the vast majority of parents have chosen in-person instruction at public and private schools. The haphazard virtual education delivered in many districts last spring did not meet the needs of many families.
    Our existing funding mechanism provides the financial resources schools need to deliver an in-person education. In-person instruction requires physical buildings and transporting students to school, among other costs. Virtual instruction has lower expenditures and can be delivered at a reduced overall cost. 
    For several years, around 40 online schools certified by the Department of Public Instruction have been available for K-12 students in Wisconsin. During the 2018-19 school year, the average statewide cost to educate a student in-person was $13,913, while DPI paid online providers approximately $7,500 per student.     
    Some school districts contract directly with online providers and negotiate a much lower cost per student, thus “skimming” the difference between $7,500 and the negotiated amount.
    Many districts are scrambling to create online curriculums in addition to their in-person instruction. Why not use the DPI-approved curriculums that already exist? Because school districts want to keep the $13,913 per student payment. If every school district was funded for their online-educated children at the same rate DPI-approved online schools charge to provide the service, Wisconsin taxpayers could save hundreds of millions of dollars.  
    I believe state and local taxpayers should provide adequate funding for students to receive a quality education, but as many districts see their virtual student population increase, policy makers should ensure taxpayers are providing funding commensurate with actual delivery methods and costs.  
     As our economy and tax revenue continue to feel the impact of Covid-19, the state Legislature and Gov. Evers should work together to ensure these issues are addressed fairly for students, school districts and taxpayers.
State Sen. Duey Stroebel
Cedarburg